Roberto Cavalli has another interior design project in the pipeline.
After designing the interiors of a villa and an apartment complex in Dubai,
the Florence-based company has inked an agreement with Dar-Al Arkan, Saudi
Arabia’s largest real estate developer, to decorate a series of high-end
custom-built residential villas in Riyadh.

Named Mirabilia, which
means “marvels” in Latin, the project will cost 600 million Saudi riyals
(approximately 160 million dollars), and is to be completed by 2021. The
two companies said in a statement that the villas are set to range from 300
square meters to 1600 square meters in size, featuring three to seven
bedrooms. They will be located inside the Shams Ar Riyadh complex, a “city
within a city” that will include houses, schools, restaurants, shops,
clinics and even government offices and mosques. 1 billion Saudi riyals
(around 266.4 million dollars) have been invested in the complex so far,
with total costs estimated in 10 billion Saudi riyals (about 2.7 billion
dollars).

"We are thrilled to be entering for the first time as a
group to the real estate sector in Saudi Arabia through such a futuristic
project that personifies modern extravagance”, said Roberto Cavalli’s CEO,
Gian Giacomo Ferraris, in the statement. He flew to Saudi Arabia to
celebrate the launch of the project with Dan Al-Arkan, investors and
government officials.

The villas, which will overlook the Wadi
Hanifa valley, will feature floor-to-ceiling glass walls. Cavalli’s
interiors aim to blend with the view, inspired by wildlife and
nature.

Cavalli’s incursion in the Middle East’s high-end real estate
market has been rather fast. The Just Cavalli villas, located inside a golf
complex in Dubai, were announced mid 2017. In March 2018 the Italian
company announced its involvement with the I Love Florence residential
tower, also in Dubai. Cavalli’s line of home decor and accessories, Cavalli
Home, was released in 2012.

Roberto
Cavalli is not the only fashion designer venturing into real estate. Armani
is the pioneer of such collaborations. After the success of the Armani
Hotels in Dubai and Milan, the brand has taken over the interior design of
Residences by Armani/Casa, a complex of 308 homes in Miami, to be finished
by the end of this year. Century Spire, an enclave of luxury skyscrapers in
the Philippines, is also in Armani’s pipeline in 2018.

In March, Miami’s luxury condo Acqualina announced that
its lobby will be signed by Karl Lagerfeld. Across the pond, in London,
Versace has been tasked with creating the interior design for Aykon London
One, informally known as “the Versace tower”. It is scheduled to be
completed by 2020.